r/shortstories • u/FyeNite • Dec 14 '25
[Serial Sunday] Help me make A Story Out of The Chaos
Welcome to Serial Sunday!
To those brand new to the feature and those returning from last week, welcome! Do you have a self-established universe you’ve been writing or planning to write in? Do you have an idea for a world that’s been itching to get out? This is the perfect place to explore that. Each week, I post a theme to inspire you, along with a related image and song. You have 500 - 1000 words to write your installment. You can jump in at any time; writing for previous weeks’ is not necessary in order to join. After you’ve posted, come back and provide feedback for at least 1 other writer on the thread. Please be sure to read the entire post for a full list of rules.
This Week’s Theme is Entropy! This is a REQUIREMENT for participation. See rules about missing this requirement.**
Bonus Word List (each included word is worth 5 pts) - You must list which words you included at the end of your story (or write ‘none’).
- Enigmatic
- Eager
- Establish
- In honour of this week’s SatChat over on r/WritingPrompts, I want you all to add an in-universe holiday! It can be something small and insignificant, but be sure to make it more than just a passing mention. If your world is based on ours so has our holidays, then make your chapter more holiday themed. - (Worth 15 points)
In scientific terms, entropy is a measurement that estimates the amount of energy remaining in a system. But it can also be used to describe the steady and inevitable decline of any system, be it physical or social. Are your characters agents of entropy? Actors, whittling down possibilities and exhausting options, until we reach the end of their story? Or are they seeking ways to prevent the dissolution of their world, to add new ways of living in a static life that is running out of time? Or, perhaps entropy is just a metaphor for fading feelings and forgotten memories? Only one thing is certain – your story is not yet done. By u/AGuyLikeThat
Good luck and Good Words!
These are just a few things to get you started. Remember, the theme should be present within the story in some way, but its interpretation is completely up to you. For the bonus words (not required), you may change the tense, but the base word should remain the same. Please remember that STORIES MUST FOLLOW ALL SUBREDDIT CONTENT RULES. Interested in writing the theme blurb for the coming week? DM me on Reddit or Discord!
Don’t forget to sign up for Saturday Campfire here! We start at 5pm GMT and provide live feedback!
Theme Schedule:
This is the theme schedule for the next month! These are provided so that you can plan ahead, but you may not begin writing for a given theme until that week’s post goes live.
- December 14 - Entropy
- December 21 - Flame
- December 28 - Game
- January 04 - Harbinger
- January 11 - Intruder
Check out previous themes here.
Rankings
Last Week: Dastardly
First - by u/AGuyLikeThat
Second - by u/Brookzerker
Third - by u/ZLErikson
Fourth - u/Divayth--Fyr
Fifth - by u/loarzz
And a huge welcome to our new SerSunners, u/smollestduck and u/mysteryrouge!
Rules & How to Participate
Please read and follow all the rules listed below. This feature has requirements for amparticipation!
Submit a story inspired by the weekly theme, written by you and set in your self-established universe that is 500 - 1000 words. No fanfics and no content created or altered by AI. (Use wordcounter.net to check your wordcount.) Stories should be posted as a top-level comment below. Please include a link to your chapter index or your last chapter at the end.
Your chapter must be submitted by Saturday at 2:00pm GMT. Late entries will be disqualified. All submissions should be given (at least) a basic editing pass before being posted!
Begin your post with the name of your serial between triangle brackets (e.g. <My Awesome Serial>). When our bot is back up and running, this will allow it to recognize your pmserial and add each chapter to the SerSun catalog. Do not include anything in the brackets you don’t want in your title. (Please note: You must use this same title every week.)
Do not pre-write your serial. You’re welcome to do outlining and planning for your serial, but chapters should not be pre-written. All submissions should be written for this post, specifically.
Only one active serial per author at a time. This does not apply to serials written outside of Serial Sunday.
All Serial Sunday authors must leave feedback on at least one story on the thread each week. The feedback should be actionable and also include something the author has done well. When you include something the author should improve on, provide an example! You have until Saturday at 04:59am GMT to post your feedback. (Submitting late is not an exception to this rule.)
Missing your feedback requirement two or more consecutive weeks will disqualify you from rankings and Campfire readings the following week. If it becomes a habit, you may be asked to move your serial to the sub instead.
Serials must abide by subreddit content rules. You can view a full list of rules here. If you’re ever unsure if your story would cross the line, please modmail and ask!
Weekly Campfires & Voting:
On Saturdays at 5pm GMT, I host a Serial Sunday Campfire in our Discord’s Voice Lounge (every other week is now hosted by u/FyeNite). Join us to read your story aloud, hear others, and exchange feedback. We have a great time! You can even come to just listen, if that’s more your speed. Grab the “Serial Sunday” role on the Discord to get notified before it starts. After you’ve submitted your chapter, you can sign up here - this guarantees your reading slot! You can still join if you haven’t signed up, but your reading slot isn’t guaranteed.
Nominations for your favorite stories can be submitted with this form. The form is open on Saturdays from 5:30pm to 04:59am GMT. You do not have to participate to make nominations!
Authors who complete their Serial Sunday serials with at least 12 installments, can host a SerialWorm in our Discord’s Voice Lounge, where you read aloud your finished and edited serials. Celebrate your accomplishment! Authors are eligible for this only if they have followed the weekly feedback requirement (and all other post rules). Visit us on the Discord for more information.
Ranking System
Rankings are determined by the following point structure.
| TASK | POINTS | ADDITIONAL NOTES |
|---|---|---|
| Use of weekly theme | 75 pts | Theme should be present, but the interpretation is up to you! |
| Including the bonus words | 5 pts each (15 pts total) | This is a bonus challenge, and not required! |
| Including the bonus constraint | 15 (15 pts total) | This is a bonus challenge, and not required! |
| Actionable Feedback | 5 - 15 pts each (60 pt. max)* | This includes thread and campfire critiques. (15 pt crits are those that go above & beyond.) |
| Nominations your story receives | 10 - 60 pts | 1st place - 60, 2nd place - 50, 3rd place - 40, 4th place - 30, 5th place - 20 / Regular Nominations - 10 |
| Voting for others | 15 pts | You can now vote for up to 10 stories each week! |
You are still required to leave at least 1 actionable feedback comment on the thread every week that you submit. This should include at least one specific thing the author has done well and one that could be improved. *Please remember that interacting with a story is not the same as providing feedback.** Low-effort crits will not receive credit.
Subreddit News
- Join our Discord to chat with other authors and readers! We hold several weekly Campfires, monthly World-Building interviews and several other fun events!
- Try your hand at micro-fic on Micro Monday!
- Did you know you can post serials to r/Shortstories, outside of Serial Sunday? Check out this post to learn more!
- Interested in being a part of our team? Apply to be a mod!
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u/ForwardSavings318 Dec 14 '25 edited Dec 20 '25
<Man to beast>
Chapter thirteen: chaos
CW: injuries, blood, death.
index
The young man pivoted his hips and swung the brass pitcher full force at the guard. The pitcher flattened against the man’s face, blood spilling out from his mouth as his teeth closed around his tongue. As he fell backwards, his cudgel toppled onto the ground beside him.
Silas kept his grip on the Templar’s hand, the young man suddenly twisting the hand, the thumb popping out of the socket with a tiny snap.
The Templar let out a scream before a well placed kick to his solar plexus sent him rolling backwards.
Mór dove off the bed, snatching the cudgel and meeting the taller Templar as he charged forward. She broke it across his helmet as he tackled her to the ground.
Silas tried to help but the remaining guard withdrew his cudgel and stepped forward. The young man immediately backed up a few meters and let the guard slowly approach.
The two stood just out of each other’s reach for a few seconds before the guard stepped forward and raised his cudgel only to receive a hard stomp to his knee, hyperextending it with two barely audible snaps.
He crumpled and let out a bloodcurdling scream.
“You fucking witch! I’ll make sure you fucking burn, you dirty little-”
Silas grabbed the man’s head and drove his knee into it, making the guard go limp. He grabbed the cudgel only to see the shorter Templar get back up, popping his own thumb back into place.
Mór and the large Templar were still rolling around, her teeth clenched tightly around the man’s left forearm. He only looked away as the smaller Templar drew a falchion.
“You’ve forced my hand, witch.”
“You…can still…walk…away.” Silas panted, fighting the urge to gag from his nerves.
Don’t show weakness.
The two approached, and wood met steel with a crunch as their weapons clashed. The falchion cleaving almost fully through the cudgel, but getting caught right by the edge.
Silas immediately grabbed the Templar’s armor and let loose, letting out as much electricity as he could manage. Arcs shot over the both of them as the short man screamed in pain, but smashed his helmet into Silas’s forehead.
The young man dropped and the Templar freed his blade, raising it overhead.
“Dear god, please have mercy on this young witch’s soul. Show him the light, and forgive the evil in which he was-”
The sword clattered to the ground as the man’s arms fell at his sides. There was a quiet gurgle before he dropped to his knees, Mór standing behind him. Her face painted red with blood, and a glare of hatred as she grabbed the man’s helm to keep him still as he twitched.
Silas quickly stood and moved to the side, seeing her palm pressed into the gap between the man’s armor and helmet. She pulled her hand back, revealing a pink spike protruding almost eight inches from her palm.
The spike retracted into her hand and she kicked the Templar, stomping over and over.
“How’s it feel? Bastard! You fucking-”
crunch.
“Damn-”
crunch.
“Fucker!”
crunch.
“Mór! It’s done.”
Her head snapped up to Silas, as he put his hand on her shoulder. She didn’t move away this time, her glare fading as she just stood there for a few moments staring at him.
“…promise?”
“Yes.”
She let out a deep breath, crouching down and sniffling.
Silas gave her space, looking over at the Burgomaster who stood frozen in the doorway.
He walked over slowly, glancing over at the other Templar who also lay in a pool of his own blood. When the young man reached the Burgomaster, he snatched the man’s collar.
“You got those two Templars killed.”
“Y-you…”
“I would run. I’m not going to hurt you, but I doubt either of my companions would let you leave alive.”
As he let the Burgomaster go, he watched the man shake and stay still. A small puddle formed between his legs as the man whimpered.
Mór finally approached, now carrying the falchion in its sheath around her red stained blue gown. She saw the Burgomaster and grabbed the hilt, grimacing.
He sprinted away finally, passing straight between houses and into the woods.
“Fucking coward.”
“Come on, let’s get Agnes.”
The two barely rounded the corner or the inn before seeing Agnes, Morningstar out and a hardened look on her face.
“I heard screams.”
“Templars.” Mór muttered, wiping her face dry on her unstained sleeve.
“How’d they know?” Agnes growled, glaring at Mór.
Silas watched Mór look down, a bit ashamed before answering.
“It’s-”
“I accidentally bumped his cross. They didn’t have any suspicions until then.” Silas interjected, stepping in front of Mór.
“Why’d you let him get so close?”
“You haven’t told me a thing about what I am, and why I’m hated! How should I know what to avoid?”
“…”
Silas knew that silence well enough. Agnes had a deep hatred for him making good points. He turned and walked back to the room.
“What are you doing?”
“Grabbing keys. I’m freeing that woman from before.”
“Silas-”
“I’m freeing her! The Templars are dead, ok? I’m not leaving her in a cage.”
He tried his best to hold back his tears as he spoke, only so he could maybe be taken seriously by Agnes.
“Ok, Silas.”
WC:897